Compare and contrast knowledge which can be expressed in words/symbols with knowledge that cannot be expressed in this way. Consider Creativity, Action and Science and one or more areas of knowledge?

International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge

TOK Essay

Name Jiale Sun

Candidate number:001334-016

School/Center number:1334

words count:1361

As an IB student, it is also our responsibility to discuss whether knowledge should be expressed in words (verbal expression) or not. In order to demonstrate this topic properly, I divide my essay into two parts. The first part is to make link between the topic and my real life. Then the second one is to address the knowledge issue : in our IB life, to what extent is verbal expression less reliable than non-verbal? Here I will consider CAS ( Creativity, Action, Science) and Nature Science

So can knowledge be expressed in words/ symbols? Well, when I was a child, my teacher told me: “The most fundamental and useful way to learn Language is to know as many words/ symbols as possible. It just seem as constructing the building, as we know, a stable house needs sufficient number of bricks to build. So if we see a building as a way of learning language, the variety of bricks (word /symbols) used is critical to express meaningful thought,” so no matter where we go in the world, it is quite important for us to say that people mainly use words and symbol to convey meaning. Therefore, it is important to think that our knowledge or thoughts can be expressed in words or symbols.

In addition, it is true to say that words or symbols to be combined to connect ideas can be enabled by grammatical systems. (Dombrowski, 2007)From here, people will ask: how exactly do words or symbols create the full understanding of meaning that normal people suggested. Well, though different theories suggest different ways: writing is the one of the most universal ways of understanding, it are composed of a variety of different symbols that create words. Through these written words, humans communicate with each other; for example, I am now writing this TOK essay by using English words and symbols. The purpose for me to do this is that people will comprehend my works and make their evaluations. If I leave a blank page instead of using some words, people who valuate my work will be confused at what I am doing. Therefore, it is an undeniable fact that there are certain connection between words and symbols and thinking expressions.

Besides, it is common sense that with words and symbols, we are able to connect our own lives with the lives of others in our language community, giving words to categories of experiences that we seem to share and allowing us to create meaning socially. (Dombrowski, 2007) For instance, I am capable of speaking two languages: Chinese and English, by using the different words and symbols, I can simply communicate with each others and share knowledge and experiences in two communities. Meanwhile, my perception and sensation on some options can also be influenced by others through the words and ...

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Even though, we are aware of the fact that using words and symbols can be seen as one of the important ways to express our knowledge and thought, we still have to ask ourselves : Is there any knowledge or thought that do not require words or symbols of some thought? on this question, my answer is ‘NO’, we are living in a multinational and colorful world and words / symbols are not enough for us to express ideas or thinking. Sometimes different kinds of words can also lead to the confusion to the others. The word “Paper”, for example, have the variety of meanings. As an IB student, we may think that words “Paper” as Past paper or answer worksheet. However, if we say word ‘Paper” to the cleaner, they will think of tissues or toilet paper. Therefore, sometimes words and symbols are not the best way for us to present our meaning.

Apart from this, there are some occasions that does not really need words and symbols. Instead, some visual image may stand for very specific and clear ideas: the image of man and woman on the door of public toilets indicates who is expected to use the facilities; a road sign that pictures falling rocks indicate a form of danger. Overall, in those places, the image might be more convenient than using words and symbols to express the thought and ideas. Furthermore, there are also some areas that do not really require the communication based on words and symbols. Art, for example, is only ever used as a non-verbal form of expression. The art works are basically judged by different people. They will see the meaning behind those images or pictures, and this does not need symbols and words to demonstrate it at all. It is only depends on people‘s perceptions.

There is another interesting fact that human beings enter the world with no inborn capacity for language, they learn it though imitation and response. (Dombrowski, 2007)This leads to another question: can a baby use the words and symbols to present their knowledge and thought. The answer is absolutely ‘no’. the most effective way for them to express the thought and emotion is facial expression. If they are hungry, they cry. If they are happy, they laugh. Moreover, it is not necessary to say that all living-beings can use words and symbols to express knowledge and thought. For example, last time I played with my two dogs, I could clearly see that there was some of specific connections between them. Then I started thinking; since they do not use words and symbols, how do they understand the thought his counterpart expresses? Or, precisely, do they have other way of presenting their information? The answer I think is ‘yes’.

Then to what extent is verbal expression less reliable than non-verbal to present thought and knowledge? I think that both expressions are important to my IB life. The CAS activity and project can explain this. As we can see, CAS mainly requires us to do challenging activity, creative thought and reflected written work (mainly in portfolio), and each step can effectively help us to develop personal skills. Moreover, CAS is also the appropriate representation that combines verbal and non-verbal expressions. Take my portfolio as example, all my activities are written down in journal form and some of them I also take a photos. The reason I doing this is that both expression (verbal and non verbal) are useful to me. A verbal expression makes the detail of my CAS portfolio more reasonable and logical. While the non verbal one show my emotive thought base of visual perception.

Also, there is another reason to support my point; it is true to discern that words and symbols can help others to understand our thought .However, when we have completed a CAS activity, it is a worth-noting fact that the emotion can also be seen as the non-verbal expression that can convey knowledge. Once we finish our CAS activity, we will show others that we are satisfied and proud of what we have done, and this kind of expression can directly tell others that we are happy. If we have not accomplished some mission, other people can feel that we are upset and thus comfort us. Therefore, it is recognized fact that verbal expression is equally valuable than non-verbal to present thought and knowledge.

The area of knowledge I want to discuss here is nature science, which can also show the fact that valuable expression is as valuable as non-verbal. Doing science experiment is a excellent example that can illustrate the issue I addressed. As we can see, the area of nature science always require us design and complete some experiments to support our hypothesis. When we doing our experiment, the actual things and motions we observed can apparently present or convey the knowledge that this theory is correct, and this type of presentation belongs to non verbal expression. Then we can write our report based our observations and investigations, and therefore refer the different method that combine both verbal and non0verbal expression to present our thought to others.

Our perception can also prove that verbal and non0verbal expression are equally important to present our thoughts to others. This is because most significant scientific facts are firstly proved by perception of people then convinced by paper work. This is due to the fact that people like to believe what they see. For example, when the American Government launched the Manhattan plan to the Japan in the Second World War, less people were convinced of the effect of the nuclear bomb, this is because no one have actually seen it. Till whole city of Hiroshima are destroyed by the nuclear bomb, they were convinced of the fact that nuclear the bomb does exist. Thus, it is an obvious fact that verbal and non0verbal expression are equally important to present our thoughts to others.

Taking all the factor into account, we can draw the conclusion that knowledge can be presented in both verbal and non-verbal expressions. There are many kn0wladge areas that can be expressed by either words/symbols or pictures. All in all, this just depends which kind of knowledge or field we are trying to express.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Book

Elien Dombrowski 2007 “Theory of Knowledge Course Companion” Brain and Bell . Ltd. Glasgow

Nicholas Alchin 2003 “Theory of Knowledge” Wearset Ltd, Bolton, Tyne and Wear

Richard Van de lagemaat 2007 “Theory of Knowledge for IB Diplomma” Cambridge University Press

Website

http://blog.ibcram.com/2011/06/17/tok-essay-guide/

http://ibtokspot.blogspot.com/2011/03/tok-prescribed-titles-2012-question-2.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5125072_write-good-tok-essay.html